A Letter to Georgia

December 13, 2015

My dear, sweet, sweet, girl, if I had known it was to be the last day of your life, I would have taken you to the forest, to our favorite place and just sat there with you in my arms one last time. But of course, there’s no crystal ball to tell us things like that. Instead, we had to find out what was happening to you; why you were having episodes of practically collapsing and I had hope it’d be something that could be remedied. Instead, they found a mass in your heart and because of that, we couldn’t do surgery on the one they also found on your liver that was bleeding and causing your weakness.

When you collapsed again, right as they were taking you to me to come home, I thought maybe, it would pass, like the other two had and you would be yourself again. Then they rushed me back to see you and I felt the life sucked out of me. There you were, lying on the table, so weak, yet you still wagged your tail at the sight of me. I know my friend, it took all the energy you had to lift your head and lick my face one last time.

It wasn’t easy for me to have to make the decision to help you move on to the next life with Pippin and Daddy. Just two months ago you were capable of hiking three miles. But, faced with three options, all of whose outcomes were grave and only two which might prolong your life for mere days until another relapse, the only choice I really had, the only fair choice for you, was to say good bye, grateful to hold and kiss as you took your final breaths.

I laid you to rest yesterday, next to Pippin. It was an uncharacteristically warm day and I guess it’s only right that if God was going to take you from me, He, in return, give me a beautiful day to do it in. I lost a piece of me; it lays there with you and will always remain yours.

You brought me to places I never would have explored, got me to do things I never would have done, taught me how to handle things that were really out of my control and how to face challenges along the way. You saw me through some of the most difficult times of my life and helped celebrate the most beautiful ones. I had only to look down to see you, my little shadow, looking up at me with nothing but love in your eyes. I know that some day, I will have the chance to once again look into those brown, soft, playful, happy, sweet, sweet eyes again. Until that day, I will remember you as my friend; kind, loving, strong, intelligent, athletic, courageous and devoted. I love you old girl. Always.